Car-coupling



PIER OAR C NG I No. 431,852 Patented July 8, 1890.

STILES II. PIERCE, OF VAN ORIN, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.4;31,852, dated July 8, 1890. Application filed May 10, 1890- Serial No. 351,278- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

lle it known that I, STILEs II. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residin g at Van Orin, in the countyof Bureau and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of automatic ear-couplers known as link-and'hook couplers.

The object of my invention is to provide a coupler of this description that shall combine great strength and durability with simplicity and economy of construction, a coupler that can be readily repaired, the several component parts being accessible and easily duplicated. For these reasons my invention is peculiarly valuable as applied to freight-cars.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view 5 Fig. 2, a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the hook. Fig. 4 is a modification in attachment of coupling-rod to an extension of hook, and Fig. 5 is a detail showing the manner of pivoting the hook.

A denotes a draw-head having a mouth or opening with beveled or flaring upper and lower jaws B B.

C denotes ahook hinged tothelowcr jaw 3'.

D D are lugs having a pin or bolt (Z, to which the lower part of the hook or lip O is pivoted.

D is a link.

E isan iron rod secured by nut e to an extension 0 of said hook and projecting up through the draw-head. F denotes a coiled sprin g threaded on said rod and bearing against a cap-plate f, secured by pin f to said rod. G are brackets to secure said rod to the car.

H is a foot-rest secured to the top of the rod.

K denotes a rod having a yoke is attached to the extension C of the hook, and is provided with handles projecting on either side of the car.

(J is a tongue on hook 0.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lower jaw of the draw-head has an opening to admit the tongue 0 of the hook O. Said hook is cut away under the tongue to form a recess, in which is fitted the lower jaw of the draw-head, suiiicient play being allowed to give the hook a free up-and-down or swingin movement. To retain said hook in position, the lower lip C is pivoted by the bolt (Z to lugs D D.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tongue C projects above the lower beveled jaw 13. Therefore when the link enters the mouth of the drawhead it is brought to bear upon said tongue, either by gravity or by being forced down upon it by the beveled upper jaw 13. As the tongue is pressed down, the coiled spring yields to the pressure until the link passes the tongue and falls behind it in the space L, when said spring will force the tongue up to meet the upper jaw B, thereby confining the link in said space and affecting the couplin The brakeman can release the link from the hook and uncouple the cars from the top of the car by applying his foot to the rest on top of the rod, or the cars can be uncoupled from below by the handles on rod K. It will be seen that by my construction the hook is pivoted to the outer end of the draw-head, the hook or catch pointing and swinging rearwardly instead of forwardly. The link draws backwardly upon the hook instead of pulling in the catch. 3y rccessing the hook and giving it a bearing against the draw-head I obtain great strength and durability.

It is evident that I could dispense with the lugs I) D and pin cl, to which the lip C is j our naled', as the hook C would keep its position in the lower jaw of the draw-head after the rod E was secured to the extension 0 but I prefer the construction shown with the lugs and pin, as giving additional strength and security.

The draw-head may be made of cast-iron; but the hook is preferably made of wroughtiron, having the tongue O extension C and lip C all in once piece, forming together the hook.

Having thus shown and described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic l1ook-and-link coupler having the hook swinging inwardly and bearing back against the outer end of the drawhead, the combination of the hook O, recessed to receive and bear against the outer end of the draw-head, substantially as shown and described.

2. An automatic hook-and-link coupler hav- 4. In an automatic hook-and-link coupler, ing the hook 0, provided with bearings in the the combination of the rods E and K, coiled lower jaw of the coupler and pivoted to lugs spring F, and hook O, substantially as and for D D through a lip O, substantially as shown the purposes shown and described. 15 5 and described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 3. In an automatic hook-and-link coupler, presence of two witnesses.

the combination of the draw-head having beveled upper and lower jaws B B, the lower jaw STILES H. PIERCE. being slotted, and the hook 0, having a tongue Witnesses:

10 O and lip 0, arranged to operate substan- J. P. GERUGAM,

tially as shown and described. MORRIS LUVIN. 

